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Falcon 9 Block 5: 425 Project Flight 1 & rideshare

Note: Name of payload is provisional. First launch of an ultimately 5 reconnaissance satellites for the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), with 1 satellite featuring an electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) telescope. The other 4 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites are to be launched at a later date. They will be launched to low Earth orbit between 600 and 700 km by 2025, enabling South Korea’s military to observe the nuclear-armed neighbor’s key military facilities every two hours with 30-50 centimeters resolution imagery, according to a 2019 report produced by the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning. The project is lead by the Korean Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), with input from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Hanwha Systems and Thales Alenia Space. ESA's EIRSAT-1 is also onboard as a rideshare passenger. This 2U cubesat carries three experiments, including a novel gamma ray detector to study some of the most luminous explosions in the universe.

Friday, 1 December 202318:19 UTC
Falcon 9 Block 5: 425 Project Flight 1 & rideshare

Mission Data

SpaceX
🇺🇸SpaceXEst. 2002
Launch VehicleFalcon 9 Block 5
Vehicle FamilyFalcon
Vehicle Record644 of 645 launches (99.8%)
Provider TypeCommercial
Agency Record729 successes / 15 failures (98%)
Success Streak229 consecutive
Mission TypeGovernment/Top Secret
Target OrbitSun-Synchronous Orbit
Launch PadSpace Launch Complex 4E
Location🇺🇸 Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA USA
Orbital Launches This Year#194
Agency Launches This Year#90
Launches From This Pad307
Launches From This Site923
Status Note

The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).

About Falcon 9 Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

Launch updates

  1. Launch success.

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  2. Liftoff

  3. Livestream has started

  4. Adjusting T-0 and setting GO

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  5. Adjusting T-0

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  6. Delayed to December 1

  7. Updated launch window.

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  8. Adding approximate launch time

  9. Added launch (payload details at https://spacenews.com/south-korea-hires-spacex-to-launch-five-spy-satellites-by-2025/).

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Launch Site

Space Launch Complex 4E · 34.6320°N 120.6110°W

Launch data from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs.